Summer 2013 | More Arrivals & Bad Weather on Nanga Parbat

After enjoying clear skies and warm weather on their arrival at Base Camp, progress of Nanga Parbat teams was affected by snowy and windy weather, last week. Broad Peak BC is alive now with more than two dozen climbers, whereas teams are currently trekking to K2 and Gasherbrums.

K2
Last week, South-African born Swiss adventurer Mike Horn flew to Islamabad with fellow climbers Fred Roux and Kobi Reichen. Their plan is to climb K2 via South-southeast spur (Cesen Route) without bottled oxygen or high altitude porters (in a style close to alpine climbing). Depending upon conditions, Mike and Fred may also try to paraglide down from the mountain.

Spanish trio Alex Txikon, Ferran Latorre and Felix flew to Pakistan on June 15th. Alex will be aiming to bag his 11th eight-thousander. Mexican Benjamin Salazar also left his home country on 15th and is expected to have reach Pakistan today. All four climbers are part of Lela’s K2 Expedition.

The Japanese team, who has been in Pakistan since a while, is currently trekking to BC. After a memorable trip on Karakoram Highway, they spent a few days in Skardu. They were scheduled to leave for Askole on 14th and are expected to reach BC by June 23rd.

Nanga Parbat
Despite cloudy weather and rain, the Romanian team has established C1 on Rupal side of Nanga Parbat. They arrived in BC (3800m) a week ago. After establishing ABC and shifting equipment to it, all five climbers reached C1 on June 14th. Improvement in weather is expected this week, which shall allow them to climb further up.

Heavy snow is reported from Diamir side, as well. Apparently no one could reach C2, until yesterday. Pakistani and International Expedition members made several attempts to fix the route to C2 but had to turn back without success. Previously, Ukrainian team also participated in route establishment and fixed 250m of rope above C1 on Friday. Pakistanis Naseer and Sher are back to BC now, whereas Karim is still in C1.

Broad Peak
Polish Broad Peak team flew to Islamabad, yesterday. The team’s aim is not to summit the peak but find bodies of Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski who disappeared above C4, after making first winter ascent of the peak in March this year. The team will try to bring the bodies down to BC. If not successful in doing so, they will bury them on the mountain and the last option will be to place them away from 'normal' route. Expedition consists of Jacek Berbeka (54), Jacek Jawien (37), Krzysztof Tarasiewicz (52) and a 56-year-old reporter and journalist Jacek Hugo-Bader.

A German team with around two dozen members reached Broad Peak BC on June 12th. Austrian members of the team Michael Haselsteiner and Reinhard Auzinger climbed to C1 on June 14th and spent the night there. Currently, they are back in BC and resting for a few days before ascending to C2.

Gasherbrums
German GI & GII team led by Thomas Lammle left Skardu on June 14th and is currently trekking on Baltoro glacier. Satellite positioning system shows that they were at Paiju Campsite (3400m), this morning.

Polish Artur Hajzer and Marcin Kaczkan arrived in Islamabad last week and were expected to have left for Skardu, by now. Artur and Marcin will be attempting GI and GII.

Mexican couple Badia and Mauricio left for Skardu on Saturday. Taiwanese GII Expedition team reached Islamabad today, whereas Lela’s GI & GII Expedition team, with majority of members from Spain, will be arriving in Pakistan on June 20th.

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